The Student Job
by Bryn Elizabeth
Summary: The Leverage Team is made up of six people... Five who chose the life they live, and one who has no real choice. This member wouldn't trade her life for anything as she plays a part in a con she never has... Part of a family.


**A/N: My signature move is to add characters, particularly daughters or sisters, to every fandom I enjoy. Why should Leverage be any different? Meet Hope. I think you'll understand who she is as you read. Please enjoy and review!**

A/N2: I got this idea wayyy before 'The Fairy Godparents Job'. I promise. In fact, as I was watching that episode, I kept thinking, "Danggg it. They stole my idea".

Hope walked into Nate's living room and went straight to the couch, her eyes half-closed and her face colorless.

She sat next to Eliot, who frowned a little. "Hope, you look…"

"What's wrong, Sweetheart?" Sophie asked.

"I don't feel good," Hope whispered, wincing as she swallowed.

Sophie immediately walked over to the girl, laying a hand against her forehead. "Oh, Baby, you're burning up."

Eliot pulled Hope's head into his lap as Sophie watched Nate enter the kitchen. "Nate, I need some Ibuprofen and juice."

"Who's the juice for?" he asked as he looked into the refrigerator at the different types of juices.

"Me," Hope croaked, and Eliot laid a hand on her head.

"Shhh, don't try and talk."

"Cranberry-Grape, then," Nate said as he poured a glass and handed it and two pills to the sick fourteen-year-old. Running a finger over her warm, flushed cheek, he pulled a blanket over her and left her to try and sleep on Eliot's lap.

~-~-~-~-~-~-

Parker was raiding the fridge when Eliot chuckled. "What?"

"My leg fell asleep. But I'm glad she did, too."

"What's wrong with her?" Parker asked, confused.

"She's sick."

"Sick?"

"Yeah. She's got a fever, a headache, sore throat… Poor baby." He ran his hand over her hair as her older sister stood, staring.

"Hope's not sick. She's never been sick."

Eliot chuckled again. "Well, she's sick now."

As she sat on the arm of the couch, Parker's expression turned from confusion to concern. "Is she going to be okay?"

He couldn't help but chuckle another time at Parker. "It's probably just a cold. She'll be fine. She just needs to rest."

"Oh. That's good." She hopped up and went back to the fridge. "Nate and Sophie are meeting with a new client."

"Really? What's with this one?"

"Nate says she works at some school for rich people." She rolled her eyes. "Someone's stealing from the school."

It was Eliot's turn to be confused. "Someone is stealing from _rich_ people? Since when do we help rich people?"

Parker rolled her eyes again. "Something about stealing from… I don't remember. The students or this lady or whatever. Ask Nate and Sophie."

"I will." Hope stirred, blinking open still-dazed blue eyes. "You want some chicken soup?" Eliot asked quietly, and she nodded as she sat up slowly.

"You're making dinner?" Parker asked eagerly. "Can I help?"

Eliot groaned.

~-~-~-~-~-~-

"All right," Hardison began as he paced in front of the screens. "Ya'll pay attention while you sip your soup, now."

"Mmmm, this is really good, Eliot," Sophie complimented.

"I helped!" Parker interjected excitedly.

Nate nodded. "Good job, Parker."

Hardison glared. "Okay, 'pay attention' does not mean 'talk amongst yourselves', people."

Nate sighed. "Sorry. Please go on."

The rest of the group nodded and Hardison cleared his throat. "All right. Wayman preparatory Academy is an elite private school in downtown Boston. It's for rich kids and kids with important parents. Well, the school is supposed to be getting a brand new gigantic library. Key word here is 'supposed'. Turns out, the man in charge of the funding, Avery Augustine," he pressed a button on his remote and the man's picture appeared onscreen, "Is pocketing the money."

"Just to be clear," Hope interrupted, her voice a little hoarse, "We're helping some snobby rich kids get a library?"

"No," Nate corrected. "We're helping Headmistress Declan. She's worked hard to get where she is, and now everything she's worked for is in jeopardy."

"Right," Hardison continued. "The parents don't know where the money is going, so, of course, they're blaming the Headmistress." He clicked the remote and more images appeared on the screen: a map and several bank statements. "Augustine lives downtown, and I think that's where he's hiding the money. It's all cash and checks, and it hasn't been deposited in any bank account- not Augustine's, not the school's, and not any separate account."

"So we need to get in his house and steal it back," Parker said simply.

"Hardison smiled. "Exactly, Parker. Now, Avery's wife works in a bank downtown, and he mainly runs his Internet business from home." _Click_. This time, a professional photograph of two children around Hope's age took up the screen. "He has two children, Adam and Charlotte, who go to Wayman."

Eliot spoke up. "So we just break in and take the money when no one's home?"

Nate looked distant for a moment and then shook his head. "No. Hope, how are you feeling?"

Her look turned to confusion. "Better, I guess. Why?"

"Because this job could rely mostly on you." As her expression turned from confused to shock, he turned to Hardison. "Hardison, do you think you can disguise Hope, Sophie and I as a rich and powerful family?"

He shot his boss an "Oh, Please" Look. "Complete with bank accounts, back stories, family trees, business records…"

"Good, good." Nate smiled. "Here's how this will go. Sophie and I will pose as rich and powerful and Hope will be our daughter we're enrolling at Wayman. Hope, you'll need to befriend Augustine's kids and gain access to the house."

"What will I do?" Eliot asked quickly. "To back Hope up?"

"A lot of the richest, most powerful parents have personal bodyguards for their students," Hardison suggested.

Sophie smiled. "Perfect."  
"Do we have a Plan B?" Parker asked. "Like if she can't make friends?"

Hope glared at her sister and Nate shrugged. "We break in?"

Parker nodded. "Works for me."

"All right." Nate looked to Hope. "Go get some rest. Sophie-"

"I can go shopping now."

"Good. Hardison-"

The Computer Geek nodded. "Everyone, meet Daniel and Nina Leighton. Dan, you run a successful Internet business, and, Nina, you are in charge of some real estate in The Hamptons." He nodded to Hope. "This is their very smart but not-so-nice daughter, Ella Katrina, and her bodyguard, Nick Prince." He smiled. "Ha. 'Ella', when your 'parents' enroll you, your roommate will be Charlotte Augustine."

"Good job," Nate complimented. "Now, Hope, off to bed."

Sophie waved. "I'll be back later with everything we'll need."

Nate smiled. "Let's do this."

**A/N: Do you like Hope so far? Shall I continue with her story? **


End file.
